Ben Schwarzbaum

[skintwisterman]

I doubt anyone here knows Ben, but I think you might like to. He never gets on the internet, saying it's boring (some, people eh?) but I knew him for a good, long time while growing up.

Ben's first noticable and notable trait is his height. He's somewhere over 6'8" and has to duck all day long: the man is massive. Not only that, but he's BIG big. Muscular to a frightening degree, he's built thick and stodgy, and looks like he could beat the shit out of a bear while ignoring it's claws.
Kind of like Marv from Sin City, now I think of it.
He's really huge in a way that's nearly legendary, heavy, and obviously strong. Driving both a motorbike and a car, he's known to pick up his bike and take it into buildings with him, and once pushed a car back a few feet so he could park properly.
Nice guy. Funny. As much of a metalhead as me, and wore the biggest boots I've ever seen, truly remarkable. Looks like entire cows went into each. Not a surprise, because the man needs huge boots. He also normally wore Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, Napalm Death T-Shirts- Gore, Death or Thrash metal, and had a wardrobe full of it.
But the crowning bit, and the bit which I really loved-- and how I met him-- is this:
He's orthodox Jewish and insists on wearing a yarmulke. Not just any, but a traditional white, floral yarmulke.
Six-feet-eight, clad in black leather, and it looks like he's got snow on top of a mountain: long black hair and this doily on top.
He occasionally got laughed at, but to be frank, you don't laugh at a man who scrunches aluminium drink cans into balls.
We met about six, perhaps seven years ago, when he was 16 and me 13. He was huge even then, and I had just come back from my only trip to Israel. So, obviously, I was feeling more Jewish than ever XD. He'd just got a flat to himself from the next town away, and had gone into the local comics/records shop to pick up a CD. I noticed that ridiculous doily on top of him, and-- as I didn't even know of a synagogue in Rhyl-- I greeted him and started talking to him about Judaism.
The conversation was short, but fun. We started seeing more of each other, meeeting up to go bowling, out with friends, or driving-- he even let me drive his car for about five minutes, but as I was 14 and almost reversed it into awall, he decided against doing it again. I'd always ride on the bonnet when he took me home, and he was the first major introduction I'd had to the Metal genre and the Gothic scene.
In the past year (and a few months), Ben's moved away, and I'm not sure where: He's e-mailed twice, though last time I tried his e-mail address to send him one it was dead, and I got a letter once (which got binned: thanks, parents). I now really miss the massive tart, and wish I could get in contact with him again. I know he's living now in London (working all those hours paid of, rofl) and I wish him the best of luck: I hope he's still swimming in black, listening to heavier stuff than I've ever heard of, and wearing that ridiculous Yarmulke.

A toast to Ben Schwarzbaum!

[skintwisterman]

Oh, a side-note: I'm only a bit Jewish, from my Father's side-- he himself isn't, nor was his mother, but my great-great-great grandmother was. My family have kept in contact with that side of the family, and we get on very well even now.
I may not be Jewish, but I'm Jewishish, proud of my Christian-Hebrew beliefs, and care for that drop of blood like many would care for royal blood.

Mazel tov!

[ladybug]

well if u do want to find him it's not too hard.....there r a ton of sites to search for the missing....or just the lost....www.Public-records-now.com
www.peoplefinders.com there r a couple hope it helps